The Council of Michigan Foundations is a community of philanthropists committed to improving outcomes for Michigan, and beyond. Through investing in the state's charitable organizations, convening business, government and nonprofit leaders, collaborating on critical issues, seeking innovative solutions, sharing knowledge and advocating, we leverage our collective voice to increase the impact of Michigan philanthropy.

The Council of Michigan Foundations brings together a diverse community of philanthropists who, through individual and collective efforts, are growing the impact of Michigan philanthropy. Whether connecting peer-to-peer or directly with CMF, we can find you what you need.

The Opportunity Atlas is aimed at providing parents with information on neighborhoods, identifying neighborhood disinvestment and informing policymakers where and how they can target place-based interventions.

We tested the Atlas, randomly selecting one Michigan census tract to see what information surfaced.

Here’s what we learned about a census tract in Lansing that covers the city's westside:

The employment rate for children who grew up in this area is 75 percent.

The average household income for all races and genders is $31,000, which falls below average. That number can change dramatically when filtering household income by race and gender. The inequities are particularly clear for children of color and girls.

The incarceration rate for all residents is 1.8 percent, meaning 1.8 percent of children who grew up in this area were incarcerated at some point in their life.

The data shows 26 percent of women who grew up in this area became mothers as teenagers.

About 76 percent of people who grew up in this census tract still live in the metro area; 21 percent still live in the same census tract.

The study shares the resounding message that where children grow up affects their long-term outcomes.

The study states in part, “Moving to a neighborhood that is just a mile or two away can change children's average earnings by several thousand dollars a year and have significant effects on a spectrum of other outcomes ranging from incarceration to teenage birth rates.”

CityLab interviewed Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director for the Detroit Program at The Kresge Foundation, about the value of the tool. Jackson told CityLab the Opportunity Atlas could be leveraged to target interventions for children.

“The path to prosperity for Detroiters begins in neighborhoods,” Jackson told CityLab. “These are the places that can launch children and families on a trajectory of success or trap them in profound inequality.”

New Resources for Sexual Assault and Abuse Survivors in MI

Michigan’s First Lady Sue Snyder has announced the launch of a new web portal to better connect all Michiganders who are survivors of sexual assault and abuse with resources.

Snyder shared the news at her recent Let’s End Campus Sexual Assault summit.

“Our state has tremendous resources available to connect survivors with the immediate and long-term support they deserve,” Snyder said. “This new website streamlines all these resources into one place, making it easier to navigate. I’m proud that Michigan continues to be a leader in changing our culture and creating a more supportive environment for survivors.”

The new portal includes an extensive collection of information resources about sexual assault and abuse, health options, legal options and rights, and how to help a survivor.

Michigan’s sexual assault hotline is a major focus of the website. As MLive reported, through Snyder’s leadership, in August, Michigan became the second state in the U.S. to have its own 24/7 free sexual assault hotline.

“First Lady Sue Snyder took a bold step when she initiated the Let’s End Campus Sexual Assault campaign,” Carolyn Cassin, president and CEO, Michigan Women Forward and co-chair of CMF’s Michigan Grantmakers for Women and Girls Affinity Group (MGWG) said. “Starting that dialogue with educators, students and the public was a wonderful and effective first step in changing the culture around universities’ response to unconscionable past practices. She had a profound impact on the safety and well-being of young women in high education institutions throughout our state. The new hotline is a much-needed resource to ensure that survivors of assault will be heard.”

“I salute Sue Snyder’s commitment to sexual assault survivors and to improving resources to address this issue,” Peg Talburtt, advisor, Lovelight Foundation and co-chair MGWG affinity group said. “She has worked tirelessly to address sexual assaults on campus and off.”

Snyder’s initiative, the Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program which provides funding for innovative approaches schools can implement, is currently accepting its fourth round of grant applications.

Snyder shares that it was bipartisan support that led to a $1 million appropriation from the state’s general fund to support the grant program, the largest investment in the program to date.

Here are a few highlights of how CMF members are providing support to survivors of sexual assault and abuse:

Through the McGregor Fund’s recovery and restoration arm of its strategic grantmaking, the fund supports Wayne County SAFE which helps the agency provide comprehensive sexual assault services to the community.

Earlier this year, the Morning Sun reported that the Gratiot County Community Foundation helped to fund a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program to ensure survivors of sexual assault could receive exams and treatment close to home.

As CMF reported earlier this year, the final untested rape kits in Detroit were processed through the work of Michigan Women Forward’s (MWF) Enough SAID campaign. MWF said while the end of the backlogged kits was a critical milestone, the campaign will continue until all cases have been investigated and all suspects prosecuted.

Michigan’s Need for Services Remains Highest in Great Lakes Region

We’re getting an inside look at the number of Michiganders who have turned to The Salvation Army for basic needs assistance so far this year.

The Human Needs Index (HNI), a joint project between The Salvation Army and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI, tracks changing levels of need across the country over time.

The HNI examines seven areas of assistance from meals to housing, provided by The Salvation Army.

Michigan’s data:

Our state’s 2018 human needs index is 1.18, higher than the national average of .99.

Overall the data shows that we are seeing a decrease in need in terms of Michigan’s HNI however, Michigan remains one of only six states in the country that has not yet returned to pre-recession levels.

The study shows our HNI has been steadily dropping since 2016 (when we were ranked in the top 10 for states with the highest HNIs).

So far in 2018, The Salvation Army has provided Michigan residents in need:

916,334 meals

36,878 groceries

Energy assistance to 13,689 families

According to the researchers, the most significant finding in their latest nationwide analysis is that a lack of trust in government is linked to higher usage of The Salvation Army’s services. This was determined by analyzing states where trust in government is low. Conversely, the study shows that states with a higher trust in government have lower usage of nonprofit services.

“This new way of looking at how trust in government influences the way people get help fighting poverty underscores the importance of government and charities working hand in hand,” Lt. Col. Ward Matthews, national community relations and development secretary at The Salvation Army said. “It’s also a wake-up call for nonprofits who rely on the generosity of the American people to meet human need. If trust in government continues to decline, our role will be increasingly important in meeting the daily needs of our fellow Americans.”

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Battle Creek Community Foundation supports new health clinic for college students and area residents

The Battle Creek Community Foundation has provided a grant to support the Munger Place, a new downtown health clinic that will serve Albion College students and Albion residents.

The Battle Creek Inquirer reports the clinic will be housed in a dorm to be more accessible, as the current clinic location is difficult to access for those with limited transportation.

The new clinic will also offer extended hours and additional services similar to an urgent care.

“It’s very important to have the diagnostic equipment in this office, so for a citizen, you just go next door, instead of driving 15 minutes to Marshall or to Jackson,” Richard Lindsey, Oaklawn’s executive director of legal and community affairs, told the Enquirer.